Serghei Cleșcenco (pronounced [kleʃˈtʃeŋko]; born 20 May 1972) is a retired Moldovan footballer.
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Serghei Cleșcenco | ||
Date of birth | (1972-05-20) 20 May 1972 (age 50) | ||
Place of birth | Criuleni, Moldovan SSR, Soviet Union | ||
Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Moldova (head coach) | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1990 | Spartak Oryol | 14 | (1) |
1990–1992 | Nistru Chișinău | 23 | (1) |
1992–1996 | Zimbru Chișinău | 131 | (40) |
1996–1997 | Go Ahead Eagles | 62 | (9) |
1997–1998 | Zimbru Chișinău | 20 | (25) |
1998 | Zenit St. Petersburg | 6 | (0) |
1998–1999 | Zimbru Chișinău | 8 | (0) |
1999–2001 | Maccabi Haifa | 102 | (42) |
2001–2003 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | 62 | (22) |
2003 | Chernomorets Novorossiysk | 6 | (0) |
2003–2004 | Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv | 14 | (1) |
2004–2005 | Zimbru Chișinău | 18 | (1) |
2005–2006 | Sibir Novosibirsk | 44 | (8) |
2007–2008 | Metallurg-Kuzbass Novokuznetsk | 33 | (1) |
National team | |||
1991–2006[1] | Moldova | 69 | (11) |
Teams managed | |||
2011–2012 | Milsami | ||
2013 | Zimbru Chișinău | ||
2017 | FC Rostov (assistant) | ||
2022– | Moldova | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
He holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season by a foreigner in Israel. He is a former manager of Zimbru Chișinău, where he also spent large parts of his playing career. He is the all-time top goalscorer of the Moldova national team with 11 goals.[2]
After a successful period with Zimbru Chișinău, Cleșcenco was taken on trial by English club Watford in early 1998. He impressed, but work permit issues, along with Zimbru Chișinău asking for too much money prevented the deal from going through.[3]
In 1999, Cleșcenco joined Maccabi Haifa. It was one of the most successful starts ever for a foreigner in Israel as he bagged 22 goals in his first season topping the record set by Polish striker Andrzej Kubica for most goals scored by a foreigner in Israel in a single season. After another strong season in Haifa, he moved to Hapoel Tel Aviv, where he was part of the squad that reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. He scored one of the goals as they memorably knocked out Chelsea.[4]
Cleșcenco's son, Nicky Cleșcenco, is also a footballer who has appeared for the Moldova national team.[5]
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1 |
1 September 1994 | Stadionul Republican, Chișinău | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
2 |
2–0 | |||||
3 |
16 November 1994 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–4 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier |
4 |
7 June 1995 | Stadionul Republican, Chișinău | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier |
5 |
10 November 1996 | Stadion GKS, Katowice | ![]() | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
6 |
20 August 1998 | Spordikeskuse Staadion, Kohtla-Järve | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
7 |
18 August 1999 | Népstadion, Budapest | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
8 |
26 April 2000 | Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
9 |
1 September 2001 | Stadionul Republican, Chișinău | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
10 |
5 September 2001 | Štadión na Sihoti, Trenčín | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–4 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier |
11 |
16 August 2006 | Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău | ![]() | 3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
Zimbru Chișinău
Maccabi Haifa
Hapoel Tel Aviv
Milsami
Team | From | To | Record | ||||
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G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
Moldova | 2022 | present | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 040.00 |
Current managers of UEFA national teams | |
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Moldovan Footballer of the Year | |
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Moldovan Super Liga top scorers | |
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FC Zimbru Chișinău – managers | |
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Moldova national football team – managers | |
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